NightRide

NightRide is a network of bus routes in operation between midnight and 05:00 in Sydney. The eleven routes are run by private bus operators and allow for a nightly shutdown of the Sydney Trains commuter rail network. Established by the New South Wales Ministry of Transport, which is now Transport for NSW, NightRide has been in operation since June 1989. It is designed to provide for track maintenance, lower running costs and improved customer safety. Prior to the introduction of NightRide, trains on the Sydney commuter network had run on a 24-hour basis, although at much lower frequencies during NightRide hours than at other times.

Ticketing

Cityrail tickets were valid on NightRide services, provided they were a return ticket or higher (single journey tickets were not valid). Prior to 14 April 2014, single (one-way) tickets could also be purchased from the driver. This has been changed to align with MyBus fare structure. This means MyBus tickets have to be used on single journey NightRide services. N100 was free when boarding at King's Cross citybound.

Opal cards were introduced on Nightride buses in 2014 and have been accepted as fare payment since then, with paper tickets phased out soon after the introduction of Opal. Similar to trackwork buses, they charge the same fare as an equivalent train journey. For passengers without Opal cards, drivers will also accept cash payments.

Service

Most services run from George Street outside Town Hall railway station. The NightRide network closely mirrors the Sydney Trains network, with allowances made for the fact that major roads and railway lines often follow quite different alignments.

NightRide buses operate between midnight and 04:30 on a 30-minute frequency on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and hourly on other nights. Sydney Trains services operate all other times. Bus drivers may set-down passengers at local bus stops on route between designated NightRide stops.

The routes are individually contracted out by Sydney Trains and a number of different bus operators make up the Nightride network.

NightRide network

The following routes that run on the Nightride network include:

• N10: Town Hall to Sutherland, via Rockdale and Hurstville
• N11: Town Hall to Cronulla, via Rockdale and Hurstville
• N20: Town Hall to Riverwood via International Airport and Rockdale
• N30: Town Hall to Macarthur, via Canterbury and Liverpool. Operated by Transdev NSW.
• N40: Town Hall to East Hills, via Bankstown and Padstow. Operated by Transdev NSW.
• N50: Town Hall to Liverpool, via Regents Park and Fairfield
• N60: Town Hall to Fairfield, via Granville and Parramatta
• N61: Town Hall to Carlingford, via Clyde (Friday, Saturday and Sunday Night Service)
• N70: Town Hall to Penrith, via Parramatta and Blacktown. Operated by Transdev NSW.
• N71: Town Hall to Richmond, via Parramatta and Blacktown (Friday, Saturday and Sunday Night Service). This service was first trialled in the early 2000 but was discontinued in 2002. It was reinstated in October 2011.
• N80: Town Hall to Hornsby, via Epping. Operated by Transdev NSW.
• N81: Town Hall to Parramatta via Rhodes, Olympic Park and Rydalmere.
• N90: Town Hall to Hornsby, via North Sydney and Chatswood; some services terminate at Gordon. Operated by Transdev NSW.
• N91: Bondi Junction to Macquarie University via Town Hall and Chatswood

NightRide services N61 and N71 commenced on 23 October 2011.

Discontinued routes

• N1 City Circle Loop Service that ran from 2000 until it was discontinued on 1 November 2002.
• N100: Railway Square to Bondi Junction, via Martin Place (Friday, Saturday and Sunday night service replaced by N91)